HYDERABAD: The Water and Sani­ta­tion Agency (Wasa) management is planning to switch over to solar energy to run its system of reservoirs for uninterrupted water supply to consumers.

They are at an initial stage of negotiations with a private company that would install solar energy system at the Thandi Sarak reservoir.

Wasa that works under the Sindh government’s local bodies ministry is embroiled in a power dues controversy with the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) on the ground that it is issued inflated and exaggerated bills by power utility and still they do not get regular power supply. It is involved in litigation at the high court level with Hesco against disconnection of its (Wasa) power connections.

According to civic agency’s sources, Wasa is not getting power supply from Hesco despite having dual sources of power, considering the fact that Hesco ensures load-shedding at both sources of energy supply simultaneously under its load management programme.

This eventually complicates issues for Wasa as far as water supply to the city is concerned.

To overcome the issue of power outage once and for all, the Wasa management is negotiating with a private company for installation of solar energy system at Thandi Sarak reservoir. This facility is one of Wasa’ installations where electricity bills have been reconciled and the management is aware of its electricity consumption.

“The company is currently doing feasibility of reservoir. It will not be paid any capital cost from Wasa’s account, but monthly electricity bill’s payment will be given to the company concerned once this idea/proposal is approved by the Sindh government,” said an official source.

With switching over to the solar power system, Wasa would be able to get round-the-clock power supply which was not the case in conventional electricity supply system, he said. The company, as per proposal, would also ensure a backup system to keep the reservoir energised amidst monsoon and cloudy seasons that last for longer periods often.

Under the Hyderabad Development Package (HDP), Wasa is also upgrading its 30MGD filtration plant off the Jamshoro road by increasing its capacity to 50MGD with addition of two more clarifiers, raising their number to five from three. Space is still available for building more clarifiers. Tap water which is lifted from river Indus is treated in plant’s clarifiers. A 10MGD filtration plant of Wasa is located adjacent to this 30MGD plan, but it needs rehabilitation.

“Filter beds for two additional clarifiers have been completed but a supply line between filtration plant and Thandi Sarak is lying incomplete and until its completion only 30MGD of water would be achieved,” said a Wasa engineer. Overall filtered water capacity would be increased to 60MGD once its pending works were completed and 10MGD plant was rehabilitated, he added. He said that unless these pending issues resolved practically, capacity of 30MGD would remain unchanged.

Distribution network of the agency, however, is faced with serious issues and people continued to complaint about non-availability of water to their areas for the last two to three months. Wasa sources claimed that it was basically blockage problems that were hampering supply of water to areas of units-9 and 11, Tando Mir Ghulam Hussain, Sadaat colony (in Latifabad) and Islamabad Mohallah, Vishan Nagar, Effendi Town, Faqir Ka Pir, Sero Ghat (in old city areas). The problem seems to have become chronic in the absence of lack of investment in the system, according to an officer.

He said leakages and damages coupled with prolonged power outage brought the system to a standstill.

It is learnt that installation of additional motors is required at Thandi Sarak to boost water supply for water stressed areas of Latifabad unit-11 where people, including children and women, fetch water from different areas or are buying potable water from private filtration plants in Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2016